One of the initial concerns lay with genetic engineering of crops. Members were concerned about the possible effects these crops could have on the environment and, through the introduction of new foods into the food chain, the impact on human health. Members believe that the release of genetically engineered organisms into the food chain and the environment is highly premature, as safety testing has not been adequately carried out.

With the increasing incidence of cancer and related diseases, we feel that the reliance on toxic chemical based agriculture should be phased out.

We support organic and sustainable agriculture as the preferred path for New Zealand. This would provide trade advantages and protection for New Zealand’s biodiversity.

Of the world’s 220 000 plant species, only 150 are currently grown commercially and just 20 provide over 90% of the population’s dietary needs. We are already massively over-dependent on a fraction of the world’s available species. Seeds that are genetically engineered and controlled transnationally will reduce this active stock even further.

PSRG made a submission to the New Zealand Royal Commission on Genetic Modification and presented a number of expert witnesses in this field.

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N.B. The terms genetic engineering (GE), genetic modification (GM), transgenic and biotechnology are used interchangeably when referring to procedures that change the DNA of an organism. In fact, those procedures form are only a very small part of biotechnology, the latter having given many sound scientific advances benefiting humankind and the environment.